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... have to be subjected to either of them. ⏎Blue Exorcist ⏎ Rating: 3 (of 5) ⏎ Review: ⏎ At long last, Blue Exorcist arrives on its loud, thunderous hype train, following the teasers during airings of Madoka Magica, a Viz manga tie-in for English-speaking readers, and web streams on every anime site imaginable. But the hype train, it turns out, hasn't developed a full head of steam just yet. ⏎ Keeping in line with the manga's long, almost-100-page exposition, the anime begins on a slow burn, dwelling upon the characters and the world they live in before digging into the action. Episode 1 introduces teenage troublemaker Rin Okumura, who along with his brother Yukio lives in the care of local pastor Father Fujimoto. Apparently, Rin's Christian upbringing hasn't stopped him from getting into fights, but when he earns himself a part-time job, things finally start looking up. The episode wastes too much time making a big deal out of Rin's new supermarket gig, but the point of it becomes clear when he tries to help a little girl, causes a ruckus, and accidentally starts seeing spirits. That's where things start getting interesting, and this episode's last several minutes provide the payoff: demonic transformations, auras of blue flame, Biblical incantations, and a Satanic revelation that tops them all. ⏎ The episode's thrilling finish is bolstered by top-of-the-line animation: tiny little spirits in constant motion, melee combat framed by intense, in-your-face angles, and special effects that blend seamlessly into the visuals. The same can't be said for the scenes in the middle, though, which appear to have been farmed out to studios that specialize in dull slice-of-life material. (And who can blame them? That's pretty much what Rin's supermarket job is.) But those snippets of daily life, boring as they may be, serve a purpose as story-building moments where we get to know the characters and start developing sympathy for them. ⏎ Overall, this show succeeds on the merits of its polished (if slightly bland) action-adventure style. It's sure to get fans fired up—although they'll have to wait a bit for the series to fire itself up first. ⏎ Blue Exorcist is available streaming on Crunchyroll, Hulu, VizAnime.com and ANN. ⏎ Wandering Son ⏎ Rating: 4 (of 5)...

... aspects of sexual psychology, like Wandering Son'streamenttreatment of transgender issues. It is a subject that the...